Old dogs need new tricks

Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s return to lead the Democrat Party has brought back a familiar sense of order — and the familiar faces that once defined Thailand’s oldest political institution.

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Yet, instead of energising the base or attracting new followers, the reemergence of the old guard has underscored how the party remains trapped between nostalgia and the need for reinvention.

Mr Abhisit's reinstatement, following years of internal disarray and dwindling electoral fortunes, initially rekindled hopes among Democrat loyalists that the party might recover from its humiliating defeats in recent elections.

His steady hand and intellectual rigour, long considered assets during his premiership from 2008 to 2011, stand in stark contrast to the previous executive board led by Chalermchai Sri-on, whose stewardship failed to restore credibility or direction.

Under Mr Chalermchai, the party was reduced to a marginal player in politics, losing its once-dominant position in Bangkok and the South — its traditional strongholds. The return of Mr Abhisit, therefore, represents a symbolic restoration of leadership discipline and ideological clarity. But symbols alone may not translate into votes.

Mr Abhisit’s leadership team, populated largely by party veterans, ex-ministers, and former MPs who had served alongside him in the late 2000s and early 2010s, suggests a retreat to comfort rather than an embrace of renewal.

Figures such as Korn Chatikavanij and Chinnaworn Boonyakiat — respected but politically dated — form the backbone of the party's reconstituted executive committee. Their combined experience lends institutional stability, but critics argue it also projects an image of stagnation.

Analysts note that while the return of the “Abhisit generation” may improve the party’s internal coherence, it fails to address the deeper problem of relevance.

Thai voters, particularly younger ones, increasingly gravitate toward newer, more dynamic players such as the People’s Party (PP), which addresses contemporary concerns ranging from digital rights and environmental policy to economic innovation.